Photo: Monideepa Banerjie/Al Jazeera
While the Jewish community and the number of synagogues in Kolkata (capital of the Indian state of West Bengal) has shrunk dramatically over the past 75 years, one thing has remained constant. The synagogue caretakers have always been Muslims from Kakatpur village in Odisha state, reflecting a bond between the faiths that dates back to the early 1800s, when the Jewish community was about 300 strong and came mostly from Iraq and Iran. Kolkata-based Jewish author Jael Silliman describes the bond as "a beacon of hope", which is also reflected in the Jewish Girls' School, where 90% of students are Muslim. "Our 'mazhab' [faith] doesn't teach us to hate," says Sheikh Gufran, one of three caretakers at Maghen David synagogue. "Whenever I offer namaz, I pray for the people of all religions suffering in the war [in Gaza and Israel]. Muslims are in pain there. Jews are in pain. I hope their suffering ends soon."
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